FNF 13: Hindsight Plays Tricks
by godfatherambs
Summary: RTN Prompt: He said he'd give me everything I'd need. - Based on current rumors, so if you're spoiler free, you may want to skip over.
1. Chapter 1

"Is everything okay?" Lucky asked, kneeling beside Elizabeth on the checkered blanket she'd spread across the grass.

She nodded, forcing a smile at him as he bounced Jake on his knee, the boy's bright blue eyes shining as he stared off in the direction that Jason had walked in just moments ago. "Just tired," she lied, reaching over to smooth the baby's thin, blonde hair against his head.

When all of this had first begun, there'd been no doubt in her mind as to how hard exactly it would be. One lie on top of another – was there any other way to cover up a secret so big? Every passing day was another day that more lies were added, and she'd come so far from the person she once was, and wondered if she would ever find her way back.

"Well, feel free to sit back and relax," Lucky replied, motioning for Cameron to follow him. "How about an ice cream?"

"Oh yeah!" he shrieked, tossing his toy motorcycle down onto the blanket and hurrying off with Lucky.

_Correction, his father. _

She thought such a lie would get easier with every passing day, but it pained her heart in ways she never thought possible. Sure, Lucky had always been there for Cameron, except for the time he was in rehab, and she'd always accepted him as the little boy's father.

For so long, she'd just imagined him as Jason's, never really giving it a second thought. She'd spend her shifts at the hospital dreaming about the four of them under one roof, and trying to imagine what it would be like to see Jason sprawled out on her living room floor, playing motorcycles with the boys.

Sighing, she reached and flicked the wheel of Cameron's toy in the same way that Jason had moments ago; hurrying off only after his mother appeared and commented that they looked like a happy family. Cameron beamed in Jason's arms, there only because he had thrown himself at Jason the second he came passing through, and the now kingpin couldn't deny the boy any attention. They spent a minute or two admiring his toy motorcycle, and Jason had spun the wheel, muttering something about his own bike that made Cameron giggle. When she offered him a chance to hold his son for the first time since last winter, he'd declined, hurrying to sit Cameron back down on the ground.

She hated seeing Jason tense up at the mere mention of him having a family, hated that he was trying to so hard to block himself out from even desiring to have such. No one should try and prevent themselves from feeling such natural emotions, just as she shouldn't be trying to hang onto something she knew she would never have.

"Elizabeth, can you hold him?" Lucky called out, approaching with the boys. Cameron was clutching a giant, chocolate ice cream cone, and the sight of him trying to eat it before it melted made her grin. "Cam wants to swing."

"And eat ice cream?" she asked, holding her hands out to take Jake.

"I'm just trying to please the kid," he laughed, waving bye to Jake before taking off to the swings with Cameron.

She grinned, cradling Jake in her lap as she watched the boys head for the swings, knowing she should have enjoyed this moment. It was normal, her children were happy, and that should be enough, but it _wasn't_.

And sometimes she wondered if it ever would be.

Jake fussed in her arms, and she sighed heavily, cradling him against her chest as she patted his back. "Mommy's sorry for having such thoughts," she whispered, pressing a kiss against his temple. "You know I love you and your brother more than anything in the whole world, but sometimes I just want to have everything."

Leaves rustled behind her, and she turned on her knees to see an older man dressed in an expensive suit, his gray hair neatly combed. Another man, dressed in an equally expensive suit, stood behind him.

He slid his hands into his pockets, winking as he waved a few fingers at Jake. "That's a fine boy you have there."

"Thank you," she murmured softly, moving to her feet, the child clutched to her chest. She couldn't help but feel uneasy in their presence, especially when she'd just seen Jason less than twenty minutes ago.

"Beautiful eyes, gorgeous blonde hair," he commented, his accent thick. The man beside him shifted, folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his gaze at her. She looked over her shoulder, an automatic reflex to seek out Lucky, looking for some kind of safety. He was too far away, blocked by trees, and she doubted he was paying attention to her or Jake. "There's no need to panic."

He stepped towards her, and she turned to run, but his hand shot out, grabbing her by her arm and jerking her towards him. Jake slid down her body, and she'd only caught him in time because the man helped ease the boy back into her arms.

"I'd like you to get a message to that husband – boyfriend – whoever the hell he is," he snarled, his tone causing her to shiver. "Tell him to stop sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, or I'll make hell for him and his little family. Not to mention that partner of his."

Elizabeth was uneasy for the rest of the evening. The men having disappeared as quickly as they showed up, and by the time she started towards Lucky and Cameron, they were on their way back. She'd lied and said she wasn't feeling well, and honestly hoped that Lucky would offer to take the boys for the night, but instead, he helped her home and left them on her porch.

She'd been a wreck as she put the boys to bed, snapping several times at Cameron, and her nerves only subsided after she got up the nerve to call Jason, feeling safe just from the sound of his voice.

She glanced up from the couch when she heard the faint knock on the door, surprised that he'd actually shown up. Well, he'd promised to come, knowing that she was upset and worried, but she honestly expected him to find some way to get out of it.

"Hey," she said softly, pulling the door open. "I would have met you at the safe house, but I had no one to watch the boys. I thought Lucky would take them, but…"

"It's okay," he shrugged, coming inside and standing awkwardly on the landing.

She remembered how he'd told her that her home was peaceful and he liked being there, and now it was so full of tension, regret, and everything they'd ever done wrong. "I was at the park with the boys this afternoon, as you know, and Lucky arrived just minutes after you left."

"Did he know I was there?" he asked, still standing on the landing as if he was going to make some kind of quick escape.

"No," she replied, shaking her head as she paced back and forth behind the couch. "He took Cameron to swing, and I was just sitting there with Jake when two men I've never seen before stepped out of the bushes."

She paused, lifting her eyes to his, comforted to know that he was mirroring every fear she'd been carrying. "I started to walk away, but one of them grabbed me, and he…"

"While you were holding Jake?" he asked, his fists clenched at his sides.

She nodded, folding her arms and running her hands up and down them, trying to soothe herself. She wanted nothing more than to be in Jason's arms, but she just knew it wasn't possible.

"He said…" She swallowed hard as Jason stepped down the landing, coming towards her. "He said that I needed to tell my husband or my boyfriend, whoever he may be, to stop sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Or he'd hurt us."

Jason's face changed before her eyes; his jaw tightening, his eyes darkening as he reached out to gently stroke her arm with the back of his hand. "Did they say anything else?"

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head in frustration. "It was so fast, and I was so scared, Jason. He could have done anything to me."

"How did Lucky not see what was going on?" he asked, sounding as if he _needed_ to blame someone.

"He was over by the swings. There were trees blocking, and I'm sure he was just so consumed with Cameron…"

"He should have been watching you."

"This isn't his fault," she hissed, jerking away from his touch and glaring at him. "He's doing us both a favor by acting as the boys' father. I'm relieved he didn't see what happened because it would be yet another reason…"

"For why it's best that I stay away from you."

She stiffened, her back still towards him as a tear slid down her cheek. It was the truth that neither of them could deny. "We're supposed to be safer apart, but this…"

"I'll take care of it," he murmured, stepping up beside her. She leaned back instinctively, and he gently slid his arms around her, pressing a kiss against her temple. "You won't have to worry, but I need to know if there's anything else. What did he look like? Did he just threaten you and leave?"

She closed her eyes, trying to replay the scenario in her mind. "He had gray hair. He was in a suit. Oh, and he had an accent, thick and heavy, making his threat even scarier."

"Okay, that's good," he said softly, gently stroking her arms. "Anything else?"

"Um, he, uh, he mentioned a partner," she replied, shrugging as she shook her head. "I can't remember anything, Jason. It was just so fast, and I-"

"You've told me more than enough," he muttered, tightening his arms around her, hugging her from behind. "Just give me a few days, and we can meet again."

She tried to ignore the flutter in her chest at being alone with him, especially considering the circumstances, but it was hard when she missed him so much.

"Okay," she managed, blinking back tears as he pressed a kiss against the side of her head, embracing her one last time.

And then he was gone.

It had been months and months since she'd stepped into the safe house, and she was instantly hit with too many memories that she'd tried to shove from her mind. She thought that maybe Jason would have come back and gotten rid of any trace of the two of them, but it was just like they'd left it.

Her easel was propped in the corner, the sheet still draped over the sketch she'd never gotten to finish. There were two molding cups of coffee on the table, her fuzzy pink robe draped over the back of the couch. Beneath the coffee table, she caught a glimpse of a photograph of Jake from last Christmas.

It was a chilling moment, like time had stopped inside the room, and it had, along with them, and she hated knowing it had once been a place full of hope.

The door opened behind her, and she turned hurriedly as if suspecting anyone but Jason. His eyes lit up briefly, just as surprised, and she knew it was just a reaction to one another they couldn't deny.

She'd been on edge for the last three days, scared to go to work, of leaving the boys, or doing anything with them that required leaving the house. She felt like a prisoner in her own life, and while Jason could get rid of this threat, it wouldn't stop her from _always_ feeling like this.

"Hey," he muttered, kicking the door closed with his foot.

"Hi," she whispered, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

Suddenly, maybe because they were in their safe place, she didn't care anymore and flung herself into his arms. He bucked for a second as if not sure how to respond to her touch, but then embraced her, burying his face in her curls as he breathed her in.

She wasn't sure how long they stood that way, desperately clinging to their dreams of yesterday and the life they would never get to have, and she only pulled away when his hold loosened, brushing her lips to the corner of his mouth in the process.

"Did you…"

"Yeah, I found out a lot of things," he said, swallowing hard as he motioned her over to the couch.

"Well?" she asked, wondering just how much he could tell her, seeing as it clearly revolved around the business.

"The man who approached you is a Russian mob boss," he murmured slowly, clasping his hands in his lap as if to keep himself from touching her. "His name is Karpov, and he may be linked to the faulty drugs that have been running through the hospital, which means Ian Devlin was probably working for him."

Her eyes went wide as she dropped her gaze to her lap, shaking her head, not wanting to believe it. She'd read about what had happened with Dr. Devlin in the paper, how he'd been Michael's shooter, and how Jason had killed him to save Maxie's life.

One threat eliminated, only for another to spring from its wreckage.

"And now you're dealing with him?" she asked, running her hands nervously up and down the thighs of her jeans.

"No," he replied firmly, clearing his throat.

"Then, why would he-"

"It's complicated, Elizabeth," he cut in, unclasping his hands and reaching for hers. "And you aren't going to like it." Her hands trembled beneath his, and he held them tightly, trying to ease her worries. "There's an undercover investigation going on with the drugs. I don't think the PCPD knows anything about it, but Lucky, Sam, and Nikolas are working together to figure out who is doing this."

"Wait, that doesn't make sense," she said, pulling away from him and moving to her feet. "Lucky wouldn't do anything like that. It would directly put him in line with the mob, and he promised to keep the boys…" Her voice trailed off when she realized that sometimes the boys didn't always matter to him. "I don't understand. He and Sam broke up. Why would they…"

"It was a lie," Jason replied sadly, giving her an apologetic look. "I followed Sam, and I convinced her to explain what was going on. She and Lucky thought that in creating some fake breakup, perhaps the mob would see a former cop's girlfriend as an in."

"He lied to me," she murmured, suddenly feeling like a fool. Not only had Lucky and Sam humiliated her at work, but she'd been doing her damnedest to get them back together. "I can't believe…"

"Elizabeth, I know this is confusing. I don't even understand why they are looking into this without better support. They have no idea who they're up against, and it's not going to end well."

She continued to shake her head, unable to wrap her head around what he was telling her. "So, you mean that Lucky, who promised to raise your son because he was safe, because he loved him – you mean that he's basically getting in with the mob, and this is why…"

"I don't think he did it by choice."

"That doesn't make it any better!" she cried, her eyes filling with tears. "Lucky promised to protect those boys, to be what they needed because you couldn't. And now…" She held her hands over her face as Jason stepped forward to wrap his arms around her, but she pushed him away in frustration, wanting it to be any other way but this. "The boys and I aren't safe now, and it's not your fault."

He nodded his head in agreement. "It's Lucky's."


	2. Chapter 2

**Attention Readers:**

I just wanted to let you all know that I will **no** longer be updating my fics on this site and that within the next couple weeks or so, I'll have the account removed in its entirety.

I have been having so many issues with uploading my documents from Word and the documents still containing tons of mistakes that aren't in the copy I have saved on my computer. I've tried countless ways of avoiding this, but it's still happening, and lately I've been getting lots of PMs/Emails/Comments about the lack of editing. It's as frustrating for me as it is for you to read, and I'm tired of not being able to fix it, especially when I spend so much time editing them.

I have a personal website with all my fanfics (as well as site exclusives) that you can find here linked on my author page. For some reason I couldn't link it here - just another reason to be pissed off with this site. You do have to register an account to read, but it only takes a few minutes. I send out email alerts every time a story is updated just like you receive on here or you can bookmark a thread to receive alerts when it's updated.

If you wish to continue reading the stories, you'll have to sign up for my site. I know it's inconvenient, but has proven to be more inconvenient than anything else for me, and I'm throwing in the towel.

Hopefully you're not too pissed off at me for doing this and I'll see you on the site.

Ambs


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